Holloway calls for hunger

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway called upon his players to show they are the "hungriest dogs" left in the Barclays Premier League relegation battle after Saturday's 3-1 defeat against Wigan pushed them into the bottom three for the first time this season.

Also in this Section

The result meant the Latics leapfrogged their opponents into 17th and Blackpool now have five matches left to get themselves out of trouble. With only one win in their last 13 games, a revival is needed quickly and Holloway wants to see his team fighting for their lives in their remaining fixtures.

"Momentum is a hell of a thing at this level and we just can't grasp any of it at the moment - when we had it against Arsenal for five minutes, we needed that chance of a penalty (when a Laurent Koscielny challenge on Gary Taylor-Fletcher went unpunished in last week's 3-1 loss)," he said. "But we have to start again now, because you are not given anything in life - you have to take it."

The Seasiders fell behind in just the third minute at Bloomfield Road when Hugo Rodallega slotted through Matt Gilks' legs, and Charles N'Zogbia made it 2-0 in first half stoppage time.

Mohamed Diame sent in a third for the visitors via a deflection off Neal Eardley midway through the second period, rendering DJ Campbell's late reply a mere consolation.

Holloway added: "I don't think at this level that you can give two goals away like that and get back. We had a go, we huffed and we puffed, but we didn't get a goal early enough and it didn't give us the momentum.

"This suits us now. We are like a wounded animal and we know we are the dirtiest in the dog zone and we have to come out fighting for every scrap that is left.

"I think we are normally pretty good like that, so that is what I will be talking about (to the players).

"We should be the hungriest dog left in this and we have some scrapping and fighting to do. I am just about ready to snarl."